Exterior entryways of modern homes and buildings often include cooperating pairs of swinging doors commonly referred to as double doors or French doors. Such doors include an inactive swinging door panel, and an adjacent active swinging door panel. The sets of doors may swing inwardly into the structure (so-called “inswing” doors), or may swing outwardly from the structure (so-called “outswing” doors). The inactive door panel typically includes a generally T-shaped astragal mounted along the entire extent of its non-hinged vertical edge. As used herein, the term “astragal” generally means an elongated member attached to and substantially coextensive with the non-hinged vertical edge of one of a pair of swinging double doors. In a conventional arrangement, an astragal is mounted along the non-hinged vertical edge of an inactive door panel, and provides a stop against which a cooperating active door panel strikes when both door panels are closed.
In its simplest form, an astragal consists of a single length of wooden molding attached along the non-hinged edge of an inactive door panel by screws, nails, or the like. Such simple astragals serve no role in fixing an inactive swinging door panel in a closed position in a doorway. Instead, special unrelated locking hardware is required for that purpose. Such locking hardware can be internally mounted within specially formed pockets or recesses within the body of the inactive door panel. Such pockets or recesses must be specially formed in the edge of the door by routing, milling, chiseling, or the like. The locking hardware typically includes independently operable top and bottom shoot bolts which are received in specially drilled bores in the top and bottom of the inactive door panel proximate to the door panel's non-hinged vertical edge. When extended, the top and bottom shoot bolts selectively engage aligned pockets or holes in the top jamb and doorsill of the associated doorway, thereby fixing the inactive door panel in a closed position. When retracted, the top and bottom shoot bolts permit the inactive door panel to swing open. Both the top and bottom shoot bolts typically are actuated by either a slide or lever mechanism installed along the non-hinged vertical edge of the inactive door panel.
Some modern astragals for inactive door panels include vertically moveable top and bottom shoot bolts disposed in a flush-mounted elongated housing. One such astragal is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,326 to Endura Products, Inc., for example. Like the simple astragal described above, the housing of such locking astragals is surface-mounted along the non-hinged vertical edge of an inactive door panel, and provides a stop for a cooperating active door panel. When the inactive panel is closed and the top and bottom shoot bolts are vertically extended, the top and bottom shoot bolts are respectively received in pockets or holes in the top jamb and doorsill of the associated doorway, thereby fixing the inactive panel in a closed position. In order to permit the inactive panel to be opened, the top and bottom shoot bolts can be selectively retracted from their associated pockets or holes in the doorframe. The top and bottom shoot bolts can be vertically extended and retracted by a lever or slide actuating mechanism disposed within the housing. Unlike shoot bolt mechanisms that must be internally installed within specially formed recesses or pockets in a door, such locking astragals can be removably installed relatively easily on a substantially planar external surface or surfaces of an inactive door panel.
The active door panel of a pair of double swinging doors commonly includes conventional locking door hardware. Such hardware may include a conventional door handle lockset like that used for a single swinging door. In such an arrangement, the latch bolt of the lockset is received in an aligned strike plate recess milled in the non-hinged vertical edge of the cooperating inactive door panel, or in an astragal attached along the non-hinged vertical edge of the cooperating inactive door panel. For added security, a conventional deadbolt also may be installed in the active door panel. Like the lockset bolt described above, the bolt of the deadbolt is received in an aligned strike plate recess milled in the non-hinged vertical edge of the cooperating inactive door panel or an associated astragal.
For further additional security and strength, multi-point locking systems are known that can be specially installed within the non-hinged vertical edge of an active door panel. In such an arrangement, a lock case is recessed within a specially milled lock case pocket in the non-hinged vertical edge of an active swinging door panel. The lock case encloses an actuating mechanism. Upper and lower actuating rods or bars upwardly and downwardly extend from the lock case to upper and lower latch bolt housings, respectively. The independent upper and lower latch bolt housings contain latch bolt mechanisms, and are recessed within specially formed latch bolt pockets or recesses in the non-hinged vertical edge of the active swinging door panel. Operation of the actuating mechanism causes selective vertical movement of the actuating rods or bars, which in turn cause a latch bolt to laterally extend and outwardly protrude from each latch bolt housing. When extended, each latch bolt engages a mating opening or recess in an adjacent frame member, inactive door panel, astragal, or the like, thereby securing the active door panel in a closed position. An elongated faceplate may be attached to the edge face of the vertical edge of the door to conceal portions of the mechanism that are recessed within the edge of the door. Preferably, the upper latch bolt is positioned proximate to a top of the door's vertical edge, and the lower latch bolt is positioned proximate to a bottom of the door's edge. Similar recessed devices are known that include vertically extending latch bolts. Multi-point latching systems of this type are known to provide a stronger, more secure closure than single-point locks positioned at or near the mid-height of a door. Unfortunately, such multi-point locks are difficult and costly to install due to the extensive preparation of the door edges required to assemble the recessed portions of the locking mechanisms in the doors.
Accordingly, there is a need for a surface-mounted multi-point locking system for the non-hinged vertical edge of an inactive swinging panel that includes multiple latches for securely engaging a cooperating swinging active door panel at multiple points along the edge of the active door. In addition, there is a need for such a surface-mounting locking device for an inactive panel of a pair of double swinging panels that also fixes the inactive panel within a frame. Furthermore, there is a need for a multi-point locking device that provides the added security of known recessed multi-point door locking systems, but does not require expensive custom preparation of a door's edge in order to install the device. There also is a need for a multipoint locking system for single swinging door panels.